Lifeline calls for volunteer counsellors

The manager of Lifeline in Broken Hill is using his organisation's 50th anniversary in Australia to call for volunteers to sign up as telephone counsellors.

Lifeline Broken Hill manager Scott Hammond says the national call centre receives about one phone call a day from far west New South Wales.

He is urging Broken Hill residents to answer calls from people with problems like domestic violence, financial troubles and isolation.

"It's very hard trying to recruit people into a position that's listening to people who are going through difficult periods in their life, it's not something that you can sell very easliy in the commuinty, but it's a very important part," he said.

"Our telephone counsellors, at the end of the shift, they can walk home very proud to go today, we saved lives."

Anyone interested in volunteering is invited to attend an information session next Thursday evening at Lifeline on Argent Street.

Mr Hammond says demand for Lifeline in Broken Hill is growing.

He says domestic violence, financial problems and isolation are among the biggest concerns in the region.

"For us as an organisation dealing with suicide it touches our community, and it has a big impact on our community with the domino effect," he said.

"So it we're looking at the wrap-around service model - you know we have the crisis, but then what are the other services we can look at providing to prevent this from happening."